I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to adjustable compartment systems for carrying or storage cases. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system for subdividing the inside of a case into adjustable inner compartments that may be altered to accommodate the physical dimensions of various stowable items.
II. Description of the Prior Art
Carrying cases, such as attache cases, are used to carry a wide variety of items, such as business or personal files, books, clothing and electronic equipment. Most travelers prefer to carry only one case for a single trip. Thus, a carrying case often requires extra pockets and compartments to store all items. For example, soft carrying cases are often used to store a laptop or notebook computer and its accessories along with files, books, clothing or other items needed for a trip.
Such cases having hard outer shells provide substantial protection from breakage for their contents. The protective shell of a hard case is typically made of durable plastic or aluminum and, thus, is lightweight and relatively inexpensive. Hard cases have inner compartments or pockets to store various items but have limited provisions for adjusting the dimensions of the compartments or pockets. In particular, hard cases lack the versatility to hold different products in a safe manner because they use soft, foam inserts that must be custom made for each item stored in the case.
Carrying cases or containers having adjustable inner compartments are known. Such cases or containers have rigid base frames secured to their inner walls and flexible dividers that hook to the base frames and form compartments. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,901,895 to S. E. Cheney, which issued on Mar. 21, 1933; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,726,661 to E. Vallet, which issued on Dec. 13, 1955, each provides a container having a rigid base frame and flexible dividers for forming compartments in the container. In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 1,901,895 provides a divider having elastic straps, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,726,661 provides a divider having three rods attached to a tension spring. For both patents, the flexible dividers extend a fixed span across the width of the case, but provide adjustability along the length of the case.
The dividers of the above patents are flexible and, thus, do not adequately secure items in an inner compartment. Such flexible dividers allow items to shift and, thus, bump other items and/or the inner walls of the case. Also, each divider connects to opposite sides across the width of the container in order to form the compartments. Thus, although the length of each compartment is adjustable, the width and height remain fixed. Accordingly, each compartment may have a great deal of wasted space, as well as permit its contents to shift and become damaged.
Carrying cases having rigid dividers for forming inner compartments are also known. A rigid divider provides firm support so that an item is less likely to bump the case's inner walls or other items in the case. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,093,222 to G. H. Wheary, which issued on Apr. 14, 1914; U.S. Pat. No. 1,224,250 also to G. H. Wheary, which issued on May 1, 1917; U.S. Pat. No. 2,628,694 to M. Kushner, which issued on Feb. 17, 1953; British Patent Specification No. 629,955, which was published on Oct. 3, 1949; and French Patent No. 1,235,491, which was published on May 30, 1960, each provides a rigid frame and an adjustable rigid divider for forming compartments and separating items within the case. In particular, U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,093,222 and 1,224,250, provide rigid bands that engage perforated frame bars on opposite sides of the case. U.S. Pat. No. 2,628,694 and the above French patent provide rigid, planar boards that slide along oppositely disposed frame bars or rods. The above British patent specification provides a rigid rod that slides along frame rods mounted to opposite sides of the case's inner surface.
However, similar to the flexible dividers, each rigid divider of the above patents extends from one side of the case to the other side, linking at opposite ends, to form compartments. Accordingly, the rigid divider is adjustable along the length of the case, not the width or height. In summary, the cases of the above patents provide only one dimension support for three-dimensional objects or items. Therefore, each compartment has wasted space and inadequate support for its contents due to the limited adjustability of its respective dividers.
The present invention is a system for forming adjustable compartments in a carrying case, such as an attache case, that provides two dimensional support of items stored in the compartments.